Redact PDF
Hide personal data, account numbers or confidential passages before sharing a document. Mark the areas to redact and they are removed from the file for good, not just covered with a black box.
Your file stays on your device and is processed in your browser.
How redaction works here
- Every page with a marked area is replaced by an image of that page with the areas blacked out, so the text, images and drawings under them are permanently removed — not just covered.
- Simply drawing a black box over text would not be secure; the text could still be copied out.
- Annotations and form fields over an area are removed. Metadata (title, author…), bookmarks and attachments are not scrubbed.
- Check the result before sharing it.
or drop files here
One PDF up to 200 MB.
How to redact a PDF
- Select the PDF.
- Draw boxes over the areas you want to remove; repeat an area on other pages if needed.
- Press Apply Redactions.
- Check the verification report, then download the redacted PDF.
Real redaction, not just a black box
Drawing a black rectangle over text leaves the text in the file, where it can be copied out. This tool instead re-creates each affected page as an image with the marked areas blacked out, and removes the page's original content and any annotations or form fields under the marks. The result is checked to make sure no text remains on redacted pages.
Key features
- Removes text, images, drawings, annotations and form values under the marks.
- Unaffected pages stay exactly as they were.
- Reports if the redacted words still appear on other pages.
Supported files and limits
- Redacted pages become images (at 200 DPI): their text can no longer be selected or searched.
- Redaction is permanent: keep your original if you might need it.
- Protected PDFs need to be unlocked first.
How your files are handled
Redact PDF runs in your browser: your file is read and processed on your device and the result is created there, so documents aren't uploaded to a server. The site only counts anonymous page views, without cookies. How it works · Privacy
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Frequently asked questions
Can redacted text be recovered?
No. The affected page's original content is removed and replaced by an image with the areas blacked out, and the file is checked for leftover text.
Why can't I select text on a redacted page anymore?
Each redacted page is turned into an image so that nothing under the marks survives. Pages without marks keep their text.